So glad th series are back Clare and Ross draw me right in feel like old friends.Another investigation another group of interesting characters to follow such a good series hope next one comes faster.#netgalley#st.martins

I’ve been waiting for this book for years and it didn’t disappoint. She’s spoken at our library before and is a wonderful, kind speaker who shares great stories and details about the writing process and the business of writing.

Hid From Our Eyes has time jumps between 1952, 1972, and present day as the police try to solve a crime they're not sure is a murder, when a young woman is found abandoned. There's no signs of trauma but no answers as to how she wound up where she is. An interesting take on this is that Russ was a suspect in the 1972 death, and now he's trying to investigate the current day one.

In addition to this, Russ and Claire are managing at being parents. For two community figures that help others and don't blink that others rely on them, it's interesting to see how they don't reach out for help (and Claire clearly, desperately needs it) as they adjust to parenting. Russ' mother is watching baby Ethan sometimes but when Claire has to run to a parishioner, everything is on the fly (which makes me wonder if ministers take mat leave in countries that actually offer it? I hope so).

In addition to this case, the county is looking at shutting the police force down and switching to state police, which will be the end of Russ' job and for many others. The political tension and stress on top of the investigation are adding up, and it seems to have nowhere to go but get worse.

The mystery comes nicely together and Spencer-Fleming balances the different time periods very well. The crossing between past and present day and how individuals have changed (or haven't) provide the reader with additional challenges in figuring out how these deaths are all connected. There are also several subplots including a new intern at the church, Kevin Flynn undercover and in town (and finally having a long overdue conversation with Hadley), and more about Jack's past and how Russ wound up where he is.


Hid From Our Eyes is a bittersweet addition to the series and will be a hit with contemporary mystery fans.

Thanks netgalley. I enjoyed this story, although it's hard it put into words a review of this one. The characters are somewhat believable.

This is my first read of the series on Rev Clare and Russ. This being the 9th in the story I was not invested in the characters and this is probably why I never felt a kinship with any of them. The story chronicled 3 young women deaths over the span of many decades. No cause of death has been determined even though the bodies were discovered in the middle of a dark rural road. I felt the plot was slow moving and the bouncing back and forth in time did not bode will for me either. Interest was accelerated when pieces of the crimes come to light probably about three fourths through. The plot stands alone but without the previous installments to flesh out the characters it was not a win for me and I struggled to complete. "A copy of this book was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

Hid From Our Eyes tells the story of three unsolved mysteries each more than twenty years apart. They all take place in the same small town. Each murdered woman is found on the same stretch of deserted highway. The cause of death is unconfirmed in all three cases. The story goes back and forth between time periods that the murders took place. The police chief in each case was around the small town as a young man when each murder takes place. Are they part of the mystery? The final solution was a surprise. All in all, it’s a great read!

I really enjoyed this murder/mystery. I did not realize it was a series until after I finished. Now I think I am going to have to go back and read the other books. I liked the characters. None of them were perfect people. Even the Reverend had her faults. That just made them more likable. I had no idea the outcome of the mystery until the end. It was a real twist. I am anxious for more of this series. I received a copy from Netgalley for my honest opinion. I would recommend this book.

Hid from Our Eyes: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery </a> by Julia Spencer-Fleming is ninth in a series of which I had previously read only the first book. A lot has happened, continuity-wise, since that first book, but I was able to follow very easily. The mystery involved three murders, or possible-murders, spaced out by decades, and involving some of the same police officers. The structure thus had numerous flashbacks, and I was impressed by how smoothly the author integrated them into the story, and how well it flowed among the different time periods. Recommended for that alone.

It's been a long time since we visited with Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne in Millers Kill, New York. But the wait is worth it!
Hid From Our Eyes has three time lines with characters appearing in both the present and past. Spencer-Fleming handles this plot device well and I wasn't confused about where (or when) we were.
The three time frames have a death in common: a young woman, dressed in a "party" dress, without a purse or shoes and no visible wounds or way to tell how she died, or how to identify her. Of course, medical science has come a long way and the present day crime scene and body yields more answers than those in the past. And Russ just happened to be a suspect in one of those past murders.
As usual with this series, the murder solving is only part of the story. Clare and Russ are new parents, adjusting to their baby. Clare is fretting that her drug and alcohol abuse before she knew she was pregnant may have impacted the child. There's a referendum coming before the township that may put Russ out of a job. Hadley Knox's ex is bringing a lawsuit against the town, claiming that former officer (and Hadley's former on-again/off-again boyfriend/lover) Kevin Flynn planted drugs on him that got him arrested. Flynn left Millers Kill to take a job with the Syracuse PD and he's working undercover in Millers Kill.
So there's plenty in this story to keep you turning the pages.
The solution is neat and makes sense, even if you don't see it coming. Hid From Our Eyes is an excellent mystery in the "Fair Play" tradition of Margaret Maron and Louise Penny. I hated waiting over six years for it (and hope I don't have to wait another six years for the next installment), but I loved the story. I highly recommend it!

This is the first book by the author that I have read and based on prior reviews of her books I thought I would take a chance on it. It is the continuation of a series after several years, but there is sufficient information presented about the characters that it is not necessary to read the prior books, but reading them will round them out more fully. I found the author's writing style enjoyable and engaging. I really enjoyed the fact that this takes place in the greater Glen Falls/Lake George region of upstate New York. An area I know well.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook  page.

This is the first new book In an established series. I did enjoy it and its my first book by the author and it won’t be my last Some very complicated mixers all spanning different times
A very good read

Three murders, covering 60+ years. Is there a connection? A lawman's nightmare, especially when that lawman was a suspect in one of the earlier murders. The action moved along at a nice place and the characters were generally believable and likeable. There were, in my opinion, a few too many characters. Still, Do I recommend this book. Absolutely!

This is a novel with a very complicated plot involving three murders; one each taking place in 1952, 1972 and the present day. Author Julia Spencer-Fleming handled all the many characters pertaining to each murder case well to help me mentally situate each murder with its environment, investigators and suspects. I'm not saying it wasn't confusing sometimes since many of the characters were present in all three time periods, but once I found the rhythm of the writing I was fine.

My research into this book was definitely at fault because I didn't notice until I began reading that this is book nine in the series. I kept feeling like I had missed something and it turned out I had missed a whole lot. This is the kind of mystery novel I just don't like. I prefer that almost all the attention be focused on the crime and the investigation but this story is almost 50/50 divided between the crimes and all the personal relationships of the people living in three small communities in New York state. I was impressed with the plotting skills and the talent shown by the author in bringing her characters to life. I have given this book a rating of 4 stars because of the skill of the author in constructing her most unusual plot. This is just not a good series for me to read further in.

Love this series! I have been a fan of Julia Spencer Fleming for a while now.
Reading this book was like spending time with an old friend .The writing was excellent and the story was complex and interesting.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.
#netgalley

I wasn't fully aware that this was a new book in an established series. I think this is book 9. I'm glad to say though that event though I hadn't read any of the other books, I was still able to really get into this book and completely understand what is going on.

There are three murders, that are all exactly alike and are all committed in August. However, they are all 20 years apart. First one is in 1952, the second is in 1972 and the 3rd was in 1992.

The book sucked me in and I enjoyed the way I was able to see how the workings of the police department changed from the first murder to the last. This was a fast pace thriller and great characters! Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC!

Three murders of young women, found dead in the same area, dressed in clothes they didn't have before their deaths, wearing makeup with purses and shoes missing. The one connection ..... no one can figure out how they died.
Thank you bet falleybdor an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another interesting peek into the lives of Russ and Clare, and a mystery that kept me guessing through the whole book because the setup was unique. The clues were there-just perfectly disguised. It was great to touch base with favorite characters like Hadley Knox and Kevin Flynn, and it was easy to sympathize with new parent woes along with all the other difficulties Russ and Clare face during the novel. Now I can’t wait for the next installment!

Intriguing novel of 3 murders in a small town over a period of time. It just didn't hold my interest though and couldn't finish the book.

Hid From Our Eyes was worth the wait. Julia Spencer-Fleming has picked up the storylines of her characters after the years-long gap between this and the previous book in the series. This story plays across multiple timelines and gives us a glimpse of Russ's back story when he was a possible suspect in a murder. Enough background is given that this can be read as a stand-alone book although I highly recommend reading this entire series if you have not already done so.

This is the 9th book in the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery series set in upstate NY. Clare and Russ have both been in the military. Clare is now the pastor of St. Alban's Church and Russ is the police chief of Miller's Kill police department. Russ receives a 911 call that a young woman has been found dead with the same MO as a crime Russ was accused of in the 70s. At that time, Jack Liddle was called to a murder scene that was very similar to one he worked as a trooper in the 50s. Russ found the body while riding his motorcycle after returning from Vietnam and was considered a suspect. Russ is now pressured to solve these three murders 40 years apart before a vote to eliminate his police department and return to state patrol. He has also enlisted the help of Reverend Clare Fergusson, who is already juggling the tasks of being a new mother to her and Russ's baby and running St. Alban's Church, to finally solve these crimes.
It's been 6 years since the last installment of this series as the author was dealing with the death of her husband and I was very happy to return to the lives of Clare and Russ. They are well-developed flawed characters and this plot kept the pages turning until the very surprised ending. You will get much more out of this book if the series is read in order although this one works as a standalone too. Cliffhanger ending makes me look forward to the next book. Highly recommend to mystery readers. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a free copy for an honest review.